Our Man in Paris is Ric Erickson, editor of MetropoleParis. It was that day, and Our Man in Paris was at the Bastille Day fireworks in Paris, with his camera. He sends nine photos,
with notes. Bastille Day will be celebrated this Sunday, July 16, with a big gala down on Wilshire at the Page Museum and
La Brea Tar Pits (the French counsel in Los Angeles has an odd sense of humor).

Ric's notes from Friday, July 14, 2006, received at seven in the evening in Hollywood, but just before dawn the next day in Paris
-

It seemed as if there were more folks out to see the free show this year. Arriving about forty-five minutes early,
the entire place in front of the Ecole Militaire was already full. That
meant that there were another 350,000 beyond that structure you see in the photos. Here are "before" photos and the event,
and two afters" - new, the little blue lights in some photos, low down, are the blue windows of folks' phones. Looks like
blue candles, like we were at a mass.

As usual everybody tried to leave at the same time. For the second time I walked
home. Riding the métro to get there was enough. Music was old Mozart this year. Dunno what it was. Really, I would really
prefer somebody like Slim Harpo.

The inclusion of any text from others is quotation for the purpose of illustration and commentary, as
permitted by the fair use doctrine of U.S. copyright law. See the Legal Notice Regarding Fair Use for the relevant citation.